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The woman leaned away from Gabe’s sword, but he followed closely and she put her hands up.
“If it’s so impossible, where is your precious King? Have you word from him yet?”
The chaos that broke out at her statement was immediate.
Noah lunged forward with Gabe barley turning in time to throw his sword to the side and grab him by the shoulders.
The Queen marched forward, grabbing the Seelie woman by the hair and demanding to know what she was talking about.
“Get out,” the Queen said. She looked to the council members, Nicole and Gabe, and me.
“Gabe,” Noah said. He led the council members down the steps, handing them off to Nicole who walked with them toward the back of the room. “Grab Lieutenant Thomas. Meet me in the dungeon.”
The dungeon. I shuddered remembering my own time in the depths below the castle.
This woman would surely be tortured, especially with off colored comments about the King when there was no way to verify its truth.
My jaw tightened as I glared at the woman’s hair knotted up in the Queen’s hands.
As if he was trying to sweep me out of the room, Noah took my arm. Leading me gently away. I resisted every urge to fight him and tell him I wanted to stay and hear what she had to say. Or help in some way. Instead, I kept quiet.
“I’m not a child, Noah,” I said once we were out of hearing range of everyone.
I wasn’t going to disrespect him in front of others, but I wanted him to know being carted out of the room like I was being rescued wasn’t going to fly with me either.
“Sorry, you’re right. Even the mention of my father on her lips has me on edge. And quite honestly - ” He squeezed my arm, moving his hand down the length of it and grabbing my hand. “I’m not sure my mother is capable of withholding anything if she fears for his life.”
Kissing me chastly on the lips he whispered, “See if there’s unrest in the castle, or if any news of this has spread. Keep it quiet. I’ll come to you when I’m done.” Pressing the small of my back forward and through the doors, our eyes met briefly. He was giving me something to do to help. Without me even having to ask.
A sliver of what felt like the rope between us tightening grew stronger, and for a moment, even in the chaos, I was grateful for this fae who was getting to know me as well as I knew myself. Or maybe getting to know me at the same time I was getting to know myself was more accurate.
Noah turned on his heel, walked back through the throne room doors and shut them.
Gabe had already moved in the direction of the training halls, to obey Noah’s request. leaving Nicole behind. The two members of the council were already gone, and only the guards at the front of the throne room doors remained.
“What the actual hellfire and gunsmiths was that?” she asked, bringing a hand to her forehead. “Based on that the King is probably dead. And Aron -”
I grabbed her arm, just as Noad had done to me, and while the Nicole I knew would hate me for it, I needed to get her away from listening ears. And away from anyone who might spread word of a weakness of hers.
“Get it together,” I said under my breath as we kept moving toward the staff hallways in the castle that would lead each of us to the safety of our own rooms. “We don’t know anything. There’s no way anyone got a jump on Aron and you know it.” The best I could do was reassure her right now, even though I had no idea if that would help.
Nicole was normally more cautious of letting herself show these types of feelings, especially in public. “Don’t let it show or people will get suspicious.”
We ducked under a tapestry near the front staircase, and walked through the dimmer staff halls. Out of sight and ear shot of anyone in the castle, I relaxed slightly.
She snorted. “Well they certainly aren’t just suspicious of you and the prince anymore. They flat out know that truth with their own eyes.” Her tone had lightened and with a wink, she was back to the Nicole I knew.
“Tell me about it.” I didn’t want to think about that too much right now, since there were more pressing things at hand. “Noah said he’d fill me in when he gets home, so we can stay put until we know our next move.”
Nicole nodded. “The minute something happens, get me in my quarters,” she demanded, poking a finger at me. “Please.”
“Of course. I’ll be in mine if you need me. Seriously.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. “A single moment of weakness in my entire life doesn’t mean I’m a softie now.” She flicked her ponytail as she turned to walk away, but looked over her shoulder before she did. “But thanks.”
The grin on my face faded once I closed the door to my bedroom. What was happening with the Seelie? How were they infiltrating the Unseelie lands so easily? And if the woman’s eerie confidence was true, what had happened to the King?
A loud thud against my door sounded just as I was thrown forward away from it as it swung open forcefully. Still stumbling, I barely registered the words I heard as I caught myself.
“Aron’s horse was spotted riding fast by the towers.” Noah’s eyes were wild as he spoke. “We have to go.”
